Many facilities require backup power systems to generate power in case of emergencies or when conventional power systems fail. These backup power systems, commonly referred to as emergency power supply systems (EPSS's), provide power to a facility when utility power is unavailable. Loss of utility power may be due to any number of causes, such as downed power lines, planned blackouts, malfunctions at a sub-station, inclement weather, and the like. When these or other similar events occur, EPSS's are activated to supply much needed power to a facility.
For some facilities, loss of power is merely an inconvenience. For other facilities, however, it is absolutely crucial to have a reliable source of backup power in case of a power failure. For example, hospitals must operate life-sustaining equipment around the clock, so if power if lost, a backup power source must begin generating power immediately. Also, a loss of power during a medical operation would likely have severe results, including potential death of the patient. Airports and other ports require uninterrupted power as well so that there are no disturbances during dangerous procedures such as takeoffs, landings, and the like. Further, it may be important for a military base to sustain continuous power to avoid any security breaches, weapons malfunctions, etc. Many other facilities may require emergency power supply systems as well, such as universities, government structures, communications service installations, data processing centers, and office buildings, to name only a few.
In its basic form, an EPSS includes a power generator (also referred to as an engine-generator or genset), an automatic transfer switch (ATS), and a fuel supply. Essentially, when a utility power disruption event occurs, the ATS detects the disruption and sends a signal to the generator to begin running. The generator (or genset) typically includes a mechanical energy source, such as an internal combustion engine, coupled with an electrical generator. The mechanical energy source operates on fuel from the fuel supply, and the electrical generator converts the mechanical energy from the mechanical energy source into electrical power. Once the generator reaches a sufficient power level, the ATS transfers the power to the facility (or a certain portion of the facility) from utility power to generator-supplied power. Preferably, and in many EPSS's, this transfer occurs quickly, such that no real power disturbance is felt at the facility.
While some EPSS's include only one generator, ATS, and fuel supply, other EPSS's incorporate multiple generators, ATS's and other switchgear, and fuel supplies. Additionally, most facilities require many EPSS's to operate different rooms and buildings across the facility in case of a power disruption. Thus, any given facility may include tens or even hundreds of items of EPSS equipment at the facility. Obviously, managing such a vast amount of equipment spread across acres or even miles of a facility is a tremendous challenge. For example, the EPSS equipment must be maintained, fuel levels must be continuously monitored, connections and wiring should be examined, the equipment should be regularly checked and tested to ensure it is functioning properly, etc. Traditionally, this equipment is monitored and supervised by hand by employees who periodically physically check the equipment to ensure it is operating appropriately. However, humans can often make mistakes, and fail to notice vital problems with the EPSS equipment. Or, the equipment may break or experience a malfunction between checks, during which time a power loss may occur. Further, given the vast size of many facilities, sheer limitations on experienced personnel may prevent a facility from adequately managing its vital EPSS equipment.
Additionally, some facilities, especially hospitals, are required by various regulatory bodies to test their EPSS equipment regularly. These tests are completed for compliance purposes to ensure the equipment is operating correctly in case of an emergency. Generally, these tests are done manually by a facility employee who physically goes to each EPSS and manually tests the ATS which in turn starts and tests the supporting generator(s). The employee then tracks certain parameters of the equipment, such as voltage and current output, frequency, exhaust temperature of the mechanical energy source, and various other measures. Because this testing is done by hand, it is inefficient, inaccurate, and cumbersome, and often some tests are overlooked or simply ignored.
Further, during a power outage or crisis event, there is traditionally no way to actively monitor the status of running or standby EPSS equipment without physically going to the equipment and checking on it. For instance, during a mass power outage, and entire facility may lose power. Hopefully, the EPSS's will startup and begin supplying power to the facility, but some of the EPSS's may fail to operate due to an equipment malfunction, such as starting battery failure, empty fuel supply, or some other reason. Thus, the portion of the facility that was intended to be powered by the inoperative EPSS's would remain without power. It may be important to immediately identify which EPSS's failed to operate so that the problem can be quickly diagnosed and corrected. However, without a system to monitor the status of all of the facility's EPSS's in real time, certain portions of the facility may go without power for hours or longer.
Moreover, if a power outage or crisis event persists for an extended period of time, then it becomes increasingly important to be able to monitor the current status of all EPSS's during the crisis to ensure they are operating correctly, that no equipment problems are surfacing (such as excess temperatures or pressures within the equipment), that there is enough fuel available to continue operating most or all of them, etc. However, many EPSS's today provide no way to monitor, view, collect data from, or check on equipment in real time during an emergency power disruption event.
To complicate matters, most facilities have acquired different types, brands, and models of EPSS equipment over time as the facility has expanded. Thus, any given facility may employ a variety of different models of generators, ATS's, and other equipment, all of which were made by different vendors or manufacturers, and which were made at different points in time. For instance, one building on a university campus may incorporate backup power supplied by one brand of generators that was manufactured decades ago, while the building right next door might use another brand of generator that was manufactured last year. This variance in equipment further hinders the facility's ability to manage, maintain, and test the equipment because each piece of equipment functions differently, has different acceptable running parameters, requires different testing procedures, looks different, sounds different, etc. Thus, adequately maintaining and monitoring all of a facility's EPSS equipment with a manual labor force becomes virtually impossible.
Therefore, there is a long-felt but unresolved need for a system or method that enables a system operator to actively, in real time, monitor, test, and control a plurality of EPSS's across varying locations within a facility. There is a further need for a system that allows monitoring, normalizing of data, and easy and efficient testing of different makes and models of EPSS equipment in a real-time manner. Also, the system should have capability for quick and easy installation at a facility, be equipment vendor neutral, and provide any required testing or compliance reports in virtually real time.